After the relentless barrage of verbal abuse and negative sentiment aimed at Barack Obama and the US, coupled with increasingly complimentary statements toward Beijing, it was only a matter of time before Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte put an end to the speculation if and when he would officially pivot the country's long-held diplomatic alliance away from the US and toward China. He did so today when, during a visit to China's capital, Duterte announced his "separation" from the United States, declaring he had realigned with China as the two agreed to resolve their South China Sea dispute through talks.

Duterte is currently in Beijing, where he is visiting with at least 200 business people to pave the way for what he calls a new commercial alliance as relations with longtime ally Washington deteriorate.